Gay marriage now legal in United Kingdom after Queen gives approval

GAY marriage has become legal in Britain as Queen Elizabeth II gives royal approval.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow told politicians that the royal assent had been given Wednesday - the day after the bill to legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales cleared Parliament.

The queen's approval was a formality. It clears the way for the first gay marriages next summer.

The bill enables gay couples to get married in both civil and religious ceremonies in England and Wales. It also will allow couples who had previously entered into a civil partnership to convert their relationship to a marriage.

MPs decided not to oppose a number of minor amendments to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill proposed by the upper House of Lords.

Jubilant gay rights activists had danced outside parliament on Monday night as the government-backed bill passed unopposed through the upper House of Lords, where some members wore pink carnations.

Government computer systems also need to be updated to allow same-sex marriages to be registered, at an estimated cost of 2 million pounds ($3.34 million).

But the government hopes legalising gay marriage will bring an overall boost to the economy, estimating that the change could bring in up to 14.4 million pounds a year for caterers, hotels and the rest of the wedding industry.

The bill survived a stormy passage through parliament, with dozens of members of Prime Minister David Cameron's own Conservative party voting against it.

An attempt in the Lords last month to kill off the legislation with a "wrecking amendment" failed..

Gay rights activists have vowed to press on for equal marriage in the United Kingdom's other two nations, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

France became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage in May, joining The Netherlands, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark, Uruguay, Belgium, and New Zealand.

Gay couples can marry in 13 US states, as well as in the capital Washington DC, while parts of Mexico also allow same-sex marriage.

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